Right to it hath not Instituted or to bring in a Superiority when he hath appointed and settled an Equality so that if Peter had no such a Superiority as Popes his imaginary Successors pretend he had and from him to be derived unto them it follows there is in them no such thing but 't is a meer Imagination and Usurpation of theirs At first Rome being the Seat of the Empire the Christian Church in it was provided with Bishops or Pastors Men of Piety Learning and best qualified as could be found and upon that account Men might set a great value and esteem upon them shew them a greater respect and obedience because they highly deserved it but in after-times those who came being a quite different sort of Men very short of their Piety Vertue and Parts yet out of Pride and Ambition that which had been rendered to the singular and extraordinary Merits of the Persons they looked upon as due to the Place and so pretended to the same Honour which they were not worthy of and as Ambition is never satisfied and Pride never saith 't is enough the Father of Pride infus'd it more and more into their Hearts and suggested ways and means how to attain to and promote their ambitious ends Now I come to my third Point which tends to shew That the Popes are no Successors of Peter The Church of Rome was gathered out of the Gentiles not out of the Jews tho' there might happen to be some few now Paul not Peter was the Apostle of the Gentiles and Peter of the Jews for saith Paul (q) Gal. 2.7 The Gospel of the Vncircumcision was committed unto me as the Gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter and in his Epistle he calls the Romans Gentiles I speak to you Gentiles inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 11.13 That is he was chiefly and specially sent to Convert the Gentiles and the other the Jews tho' when occasion was offered they omitted not to Preach it to both if Peter was to Convert the Jews then he was not to go abroad to the Gentiles but to converse with and continue among the Jews as we see his Epistles are written to them Paul on the contrary having upon occasion said to the Jews (r) Acts 13.46 It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles and in another place (s) Chap. 18.6 He shook his Raiment and said unto them your blood be upon your own head I am clean from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles and so he did going from Town to Town to Preach the Gospel and so we see his Epistles generally written to the Gentiles among others that to the Romans whereby we see how that Church was within his Province not of Peters But let us come to particulars on this account there may be a twofold Succession the first of Doctrine the second of the Chair or See now I say Popes are Peters Successors in neither First not in Doctrine for indeed except the first and second Articles of Christian Religion about the most Holy Trinity and Divinity of Christ wherein they are sound they have corrupted most of the rest of the true Christian Apostolical Doctrine which I am sure St. Peter taught all their corruptive Alterations and humane Superstructures of their own Invention as Invocation of Saints Worshipping of Images Veneration of Relicks Pilgrimages Indulgences Purgatory and many more besides their overthrowing the three Offices of our Lord and Saviour with making other Kings and Heads to Rule over his Church other Prophets who teach for Doctrines the Commandments of Men and bring in their Traditions to the prejudice of his Holy Word and then Instituting other Priests than him and other Sacrifices than his and setting up new Sacraments and other things which are well known and 't would be too long for me to Insert But Madam If you please to be informed about several of the chief as Transubstantiation taking away the Cup against eating of Flesh on certain days the Marrying of Priests these I have spoken of in a Tract of mine called A Seasonable Discourse about Religion in this present Conjuncture Printed in 1688. which I refer you to for here for Brevity sake I will meddle with nothing but what relates to my present purpose However Madam before I proceed farther I take it to be necessary to pull off the Vizard of the Church of Rome's pretended Succession to Peter In order to 't you must give me leave to draw a true and natural Picture of that Society I hope you will own two things first That the true and right Succession is in the Doctrine Secondly That Peter's Doctrine is the same and not at all different from or contrary to that of the other Apostles and Evangelists as set down in the New Testament Now the Romish Church from the first steps doth prevaricate and gainsay Peter's Doctrine for he saith (v) 2 Pet. 1.20 21. That no prophesie of the scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Here Peter attributes Scripture to the Counsel of God and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost but the Romish Church (x) Bellar. de verbo dei l. 4. c. 4. to the will of men and particular occasions without God's express command Nay they say (y) Bellar. de verbo dei l. 4. c. 3. the word of God contains not all things necessary unto Salvation and so 't is insufficient yet the Apostle saith all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofs for correction for instruction in righteousness and are able to make us wise unto salvation z Perron cont Tilen 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Now that which makes wise and perfect as 't is v. 17. to Salvation doth contain all that is necessary unto Salvation other Texts we have to the same purpose They also (a) Bellar. de verbo dei l. 3. c. 1. affirm Scripture to be dark and obscure against what David saith in so many places as Psal 19.28 And thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Psal 119.105 They see not that light because they turn their back upon 't Paul declares (b) 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Tho' God's word be clear Unbelievers cannot see 't no more than the Blind or those who shut their Eyes can see the Sun tho' never so bright Nay they (c) Bellar. de verbo dei l.
Prov 8.11 Because Sentence against an Evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. But let such unto themselves apply what the Apostle saith (r) 2 Pet. 2.3 Their Judgment Lingereth not and their Damnation Slumbereth not Thus we proved the Point with clear Evidence out of Scripture Human Laws and strength of Reason which might be more Enlarged upon if Occasion required it This I must add That 't is a sad Case a loud and crying Sin that must need reach up to Heaven when Justice cannot be obtained against neither Adulteress nor Adulterer as if there was a Combination against it to provoke God and Men to the utmost till God's time be come to render it who being most just never fails to do 't when he thinks fit but sometimes when he doth men take no notice of it thô I think it to be one of the chief Causes of the heaviest and most frequent Judgments inflicted upon the Nation for as it is one of if not the most common National Sin and none in Scripture more often nor more strictly Forbidden as most of any contrary to God's holy and pure Nature So those who commit and continue in it must look for the most dreadful and terrible Judgments which God's Justice Anger and Vengeance for the Contempt of his Authority and Breach of his Laws can in this World and in that which is to come pour upon wretched and presumptuous Sinners Besides I would have all Offenders in this kind to know That there is not in the World a Meaner Wretch than the Lewd and Vicious Man who doth the Devil's Drudgery and being a meer Slave to his Passion is thereby put upon the most Indecent Basest Vilest Shameful and most Dangerous Shifts that can be is ever Restless being continually Spurred on by his Lust which first in this World will (s) Hos 4.11 Take away his Heart for Whoredom and Wine do so and except God shews Mercy for want of that Purity which in Relation to Women the Apostle so (t) 1 Tim. 5 ◠carefully Commends to his young Disciple shall in the next hurry and deliver him into everlasting Burnings For the Truth and justice of God require that the Fire of Lust wherein they Burned here should hereafter be punished with Eternal Flames For saith the Apostle Them that walk after the Flesh 2 Pet. 2.9.10 in the Lust of Vncleanness God reserveth unto the Day of judgment to be Punished with a Pain Adequate to their Sin FINIS A CHARGE TO Judges Juries Witnesses CONCERNING OATHS HAVING of late been Summoned to give in upon Oath my Evidence in a weighty Business I was at first Amazed and at a stand then moved with just Indignation to hear several Men with a Brazen-face to Swear for Truth that which in my Conscience I knew certainly to be False for I speak only of those Things and Circumstances which come within the Sphere of my certain Knowledge and upon serious Thoughts such prostitute Wretches tho they speak but to one part of a Cause yet they give Men reasonable Grounds of entertaining an Ill Opinion of the whole For no good Cause may be supported by evil and unlawful Means which at last will Discredit Blast and Ruin it In the mean while such Practices of Swearing falsely do bring Dishonour upon God Scandal upon our holy Religion and are a Shame to a Nation and if not as much as 't is possible Suppressed and Prevented God the Judge of the whole Earth will in his due time require it at the Hands of those in whose Power it lieth and whose Duty it is to do 't Wherefore upon so just and necessary an Account I look upon my self as bound to give in my Evidence and I Wish Judges Jury-men and specially Witnesses may so take notice of and mind what I shall say as every one to do their Duty in their respective Stations for herein I shall bear Witness for God as for men And my great Motive why I now commit to Paper these few Lines and Serious Thoughts of mine 't is only to bear Record unto the Truth For (a) 2 Cor. 13.8 I can do nothing against but for the Truth which I think I am called to thorough the Occasion which is the Ground of all this Which to Prosecute I shall make use of both Law and Gospel I Thank God when I appeared in this Business I never but once before had been Summoned to bear Witness upon Oath for I own it I fear an Oath the fewer the better and the least Account one is to give God about these matters for therein Men thô unwillingly and Ignorantly yet thorough want of Memory or some Mistakes are in danger of Failing Wherefore I shall ever avoid as much as I may being brought under an Oath without a just and necessary Cause rashly and hastily to venture upon 't is usually attended with bitter Effects and is the cause of much Evil of Sin as of Punishment from both God and men He that easily and hastily doth Swear will as easily and hastily Forswear for when he makes no Conscience to take an Oath he will make none to break it Neither would I multiply Oaths for many Oaths many Snares To go upon sure Grounds and Explain the matter we must first see upon what Occasion an Oath is taken and what it is because too often thorough the Unrighteousness Malice and Craftiness of False and Self-ended Men Truth is driven into Corners which yet God in his due time and sometimes in an Extraordinary manner will bring to light to the Confusion of the Wicked that would have suppressed it Therefore because one man will not Trust another and that men do suspect the Sincerity and are in the Dark about the Thoughts one of another upon such an account God who alone knows and is the Searcher of the Heart (b) Heb. 4.13 For all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do is called upon to be a Witness of the Truth of that which is in Question and Sworn for (c) chap. 6.16 An Oath for Confirmation to men is saith the Apostle an end of all Strife Not to sow foment and promote it and shelter Villanies under God's most holy and sacred Name for this overthrows the good Ends for which an Oath was intended and perverts Justice and Equity over-turns the whole World and tends to Disorder Confusion and Ruin all Effects of Perjury Now an Oath is a calling of God to Witness for the Confirmation of what we Say or Promise 'T is a Religious and Necessary Confirmation of Things doubtful by calling on God to be a Witness of Truth and a Revenger of Falsehood which last part is much to be taken notice of though many who Swear mind it not and there is a great Reason why God should avenge the Abuse of his Name for if
Repentance it doth not follow they must be deprived of Baptism for all this might be said of Circumcision and yet God commanded Children to be Circumcised and to oppose this as contrary to reason is to Dispute against God who would have Circumcision a Sacrament of Regeneration for as I observed before 't is called Circumcision of the Heart and without Hands to be administred to Children whereby we are taught 't is not always necessary the Truth signified in a Sacrament should go before the Sign sometimes 't is enough it should follow at least in part so that except one would make which were a kind of Blasphemy the Mercy of God less towards us and our Children than towards the Jews and their Seed we must not deprive them of Baptism the Seal of that Covenant no more than they were not deprived of Circumcision for by these Two Sacraments God did and doth separate some from others to offer them his Salvation They who have no right to the Promises must joyn themselves to Christ's Flock before they receive his Mark Thus God instructed Abraham in the Doctrine of Faith and in his Covenant before he gave him Circumcision but once having admitted him into the Church he ordered his Seed to be made partakers of the same benefit Out of what hath been said one would hope every Rational Man would be satisfied how Infants ought to be Baptised and the Sign not to be denyed those who may have the Thing signifyed But because I know (a) Matth. 13.11 'T is not given to all to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but only to those whom God is pleased to reveal it to for 't is not any man's Parts or Learning that can do 't (b) 1 Cor. 3.6 Paul may Plant Apollos may Water but God alone can give the Increase To him must be left the Success of things all I now can do is to beseech the Lord to open (c) Luke 24.45 the Understanding of those who are concerned As he did that of his Apostles that they might Vnderstand the Scriptures and open their Heart as that of [d] Acts 16.14 Lidia to attend unto the Things spoken Some other things there are relating to this matter wherein Anabaptists differ from us which we must not omit The First is about the outward Act used in Baptism They would have it done with Dipping whence they have gotten the Name of Dippers and 't is the signification of the Greek Word whence comes the word Baptism And though as much as we can we must close with the Ceremony of the Institution yet that outward Rite is not of the Essence of the Sacrament and that which is used hath the same Effect and Signification It doth not appear any where that they that were Baptised were dipped under Water for they had been in some Danger of being Drowned but that they went into the River or other Water and he who Baptised as John Baptist or other poured it upon their Head whereupon they were accounted to have been under Water as in some kind they had been but those who at that time were Baptised were persons come to Years and consequently more able to resist the Coldness of the Water in cold Weather in case any Quantity had been poured upon them which yet was but little But leaving aside the Difference of Climates Hot or Cold of Constitutions Weak and Strong of Age Childhood and Manhood or Inconveniency that might arise therefrom I say in the Church Sprinkling hath succeeded Dipping and not without Ground in Scripture for the word Sprinkling is used for the Thing signified and of this we have Two Witnesses St. Paul is the first (e) Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water There are Sprinkling and Washing And chap. 12.24 't is spoken of the blood of Sprinkling The other is St. Peter (f) 1 Pet. 1.2 Thorough Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ If the Thing signified be represented with Sprinkling so may the Sign be administred with Sprinkling and the Child lying upon it's back in man's Arms may be said to be under the Water sprinkled upon it's Face We also find in Scripture that the Administration of that Sacrament is both as to the Sign and Thing signified called Washing so that there is no certain and constant Obligation to the strictness of the Greek word and to the outward Rite of Dipping and Sprinkling Answers the end of the Sacrament and the Analogy between the visible and the invisible parts of it as well as Dipping and we see in the Lord's Supper there is no Obligation to any certain Posture so that provided there be no Superstition nor Idolatry it may well be received Sitting Kneeling or Standing Another thing we differ in is about Rebaptisation Hence they are called Anabaptists from baptising again those that were baptised before The Church of Rome doth not rebaptise those who from us turn to them nor we those who from them come to us but Anabaptists do all that come to them out of other Perswasions and though the Lord's-Supper be administred many times yet Baptism is not or ought not to be but once because Baptism is the Sacrament of Initiation and the Lord's-Supper of Nutrition and Increase Baptism is a Regenerating and the Lord's Supper a Confirming and Strengthening Ordinance Now as there is but one beginning of spiritual Life thorough Regeneration and there is but one Introduction and admission into the Covenant so the Sacrament of these things ought only once to be administred but as during our whole Life we need spiritual Nourishment so the Sacrament of it ought often to be reiterated as in our natural Life we are born but once but we must Eat often to preserve our Life I must resolve a Difficulty and then I have done 'T is said in one place [g] Ephes 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptism And in another 't is spoken of the Doctrines [h] Heb. 6.2 of Baptisms as of many There is certainly but one Sacrament of Baptism instituted by our Lord Jesus In that first place the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to Unity for this reason that our whole Salvation is grounded upon it in it's Principle Progress and End One God One Lord One Faith One Baptism one Hope one Body and one Spirit whereby all these are united In consequence of this we find [c] Acts 4.32 the multitude of those that believed were of One Heart and of One Soul Philip. 1.27 and ought to stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind So that this admits of no difficulty But in the other place the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrews to tend to a perfection and make a further progress in the knowledge and way to Salvation the Principles thereof having been laid before whereof
we may easily believe any thing which we must not when our Eternal welfare lies at Stake Before I have done I hope by the Grace of God to prove this First That the Romish Church hath no Supremacy over other Churches and that her Bishop is no Universal Bishop nor Primate of the Christian Church Secondly I shall beat down the ground they go upon namely that Peter was the Prince of the Apostles from whom they pretend their Supremacy to be derived Thirdly I intend to shew how Popes are no Successors of Peter neither 1. of his Doctrine nor 2. of his Seat or else he had been a Non-Resident Bishop for he never was at Rome at least any long time and this being done I shall speak against the pertended Infallibility of that Church and of her Bishops having before Premised some things against Peter's Infalliblity I must not engage in the Common place about the Church which is of a large extent yet I ought to take notice how the Word is sometimes improperly taken for the Temple or Meeting place and properly for the Assembly or Congregation of those who make part of the Body of the Universal Church which being dispersed all the World over and consisting of all serts of Men and Women of every People Quality Age or Sex for which cause 't is denominated Catholick the true Members whereof are for certain visible only to Gods Eye this Universal Church doth Subsist in the National ones and these in the particular Churches The Word Church is from a Greek Word derived from another which signifies to call from one place to another here we must observe the unreasonableness of the Romish Society which would be called the Church exclusively to all that are not within her Pale when there hath always been the Greek Ethiopian and other Churches standing by themselves so now we have the Protestant and Reformed Churches from the Errors of the Romish which consist of several National ones and tho' in some of the forenamed National Churches there be Corruptions yet in none greater than in that of Rome which all Protestant ones do charge with Idolatry Besides that Church commits a great absurdity with calling her self Catholick when at the most she is but a part of it for 't is a contradiction to be Universal particular as the Roman Catholick Church doth import neither doth the name Roman make it to be that Church which was in Rome when St. Paul did write his Epistle no more than the Jewish Church is now what it once was Here if I would enlarge I might divide my Discourse into three Branches First What the Church is Secondly What are the Marks whereby to know her And Thirdly What is her Authority And therein according to the Etymology of the Greek word for Church shew there are two sorts or calling one outward only the other inward and joyned to the outward but properly speaking the name Church comprehends the Assembly only of Gods Elect for in the Church are two different kinds of Men some are Members of Christ and the true Church which are the House it self others are indeed in the House of God but are none of it like the Straw among the Wheat till they go out and are separated of this sort are all Christians National Visible Particular Churches wherein are the pure Preaching of the Word and the right Administration of the Sacraments according to the Institution which are the proper marks of Christ's Church but in that of Rome they are very much corrupt these I say and several other things to the purpose I might insist upon but for brevities sake I shall forbear to come to what I chiefly proposed to speak of And that 's First The Church of Rome which is but a Particular one hath no right of Superiority or Supremacy over any other Particular Churches she hath no Patent for it what Power she hath in that kind was gotten by Craft and Usurpation and was since maintained by force and violence Jesus Christ is the Head King and Master of his Church and they cannot out of his Word or Apostolical Practice shew that ever he gave the Romish Church any such Priviledge or Prerogative as I hope to shew 't somewhat lower 't is but a Human Invention Ecclesiastical Histories assure us that Patriarchs or Bishops of Antioch Alexandria c. were Independent from Rome nay some of them sharply censured the Bishop of Rome Indeed in the 4th Century some Jarrings began between him of Rome and that of Constantinople which being then the Seat of the Empire was become the new Rome But all was much according to the Temper of the Bishops then in being and for a proof that no such Prerogative belonged to Rome in the 6th Century we read how Gregory the great Bishop of the Place declared that whosoever called himself Universal Bishop or Bishop of Bishops was the fore-runner of Antichrist Tho' not long after his Death that Mystery of Iniquity began to be set up by a common Agreement between Phocas who having made away his Master the Emperor Mauricius during a violent Fit he had of the Gout promised Boniface then Pope of Rome that if he would procure him to be owned for Emperor he would own him for Universal Bishop this is the true ground of that Usurpation and not any falsely supposed Gift of Constantine the Great much less of Christ 'T is observable how about the same time that Mahomet began his Imposture the fore-named Bishop of Rome by Vertue of a Grant from Phocas took upon him the proud Title of Universal Bishop for the Grant was made in 606 which was the very year that Mahomet retired to his Cave to forge his Impostures which in 608 he began to propagate at Mecca and the Successors of both endeavoured by the same Methods that is Craftiness Lying Fire and Sword to Propagate it and these are now the two great Impostures in the World one in the East the other in the West And we know it to be the endeavours of all Usurpers to maintain themselves as much and as long as they can in their Usurpations so that Boniface's Successors being acted by the same Spirit of Ambition as he had been and having met with favourable conjunctures to settle and fix in that Usurpation they enlarged it as much as they could And because to engage the Consciences of men they would pretend to a Divine Right for this encroachment we must in the next place blow up and overthrow that imaginary Ground of theirs which they fancy and would perswade People to have been derived to them from St. Peter but we say nemo dat quod non habet No man can give what he hath not Peter never had any Primacy or Superiority over the other Apostles and herein we go upon sure grounds for all along we have Scripture for it Neither before our Blessed Saviours Death nor after his Resurrection was any such Title as Prince of
2. c. 15. and Index lib. prohibit Res 4. forbid people to read it tho' in several places of the Old and New Testaments there be an express command to read it which for brevity sake I shall not quote only in my way I shall take notice of an Interpretation of the words in Psalm 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and Dragon shalt thou trample under feet a Prophesy relating to our Lord and Saviour yet Pope Alexander the III. whilst he in the Porch of St. Marks Church in Verice was with his Foot treading upon the Neck of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa caused the words to be pronounced with a loud Voice to which the Emperor as bad an Interpreter as the proud Pope was of Scripture answered non tibi sed Petro this was not said to thee but to Peter whereunto the reply was Et mihi Petro to me and to Peter Before this Holy Word they prefer or at least make of an equal Authority their Traditions their own â—nventions and Forgeries For Madam give me eave to say That the Church of Rome is a great Impostor and hath been proved such by several Divines both Forreigners and our own yet Bellarmin in the same Book and Cardinal du Perron against Tilenus are for Traditions contrary to so many places of Scripture whereof some are quoted in the Margin (d) Deut. 12.32 Exod. 25.40 What things soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it and St. Paul saith (e) Gal. 1.8 9. If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have precahed let him be accursed the word in the Original signifies besides what we have Preached there ought to be no dimunition addition or alteration But Madam to avoid prolixity which I see an enumeration of many of their Errors would unavoidably engage me in I shall in few words say their forbidding at certain times to eat some sorts of Meats when Gods Word in so many places speaks against it and that as well as the prohibition for Priests to Marry is called (f) 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Heb. 13.4 Doctrine of Devils when the Apostle calls Marriage Honourable and the Bed undefil'd How dare they to command that which God hath forbidden or to forbid that which God hath instituted approved and commanded Pope Pius the II. was so sensible of the unreasonableness of this as to say that if Priests for good cause had been forbidden to Marry for a better they should now Marry (g) Matt. 8.14 We Read in the Word how Peter whom they so much pretend to follow * Act. 21.8 9. and others among the Apostles and Evangelists were Married After this what shall we say of Campeggio †1 Cor. 9.5 one of the Pope's Legates at the Council of Trent who openly maintained there that 't is better for a Priest to keep a Whore than to Marry Their Mediators of Intercession are an Injury to the Lord Jesus The Error of Transubstantiation is contrary to Scripture Sense and Reason and attended with Idolatry And now Madam I shall be more plain than I was once meerly out of respect for you when as you may remember a Pragmatical Priest at Table vexed some Body whom you know and with a Brazen Face denied the Romanists to Worship Images and other Creatures for 't is known how all your Priests are downright Idolaters first they make their Wafer God for saith one of them (h) Gab. Biel. Can. Miss 4. He who Created me without me is now Created by me I say the Priest first makes his God then falls down and Worships it and at last Eats it up Is not this as great an Idolatry as can be to Worship a Creature of his own making The place where our Saviour speaks of false Christs is remarkable (g) Matt. 24.23 26. If any man shall say unto you lo here is Christ or there believe it not or behold he is in the secret chambers or little places which they have above their Altars where under Lock and Key they keep their Idol God believe it not What manner of God is the Wafer God of Papists of one or few minutes standing which by the pronouncing of five Latin Words tho' in the Text there be but four This is my Body is as it were by a Magical Vertue changed into the substance of Christ's Body and so with them becomes God and as such is by them adored What a poor Idol God is this which cannot preserve it self from being eaten up by Dogs Rats Mice Spiders and the like Vermin and if it doth but slip out of the Priests Hand when he holds it is like Dagon before the Ark broken in pieces And the Priest when such an accident happens as it doth sometimes in the Street with a Rope about his Neck to shew how for his Idolatry he deserves to be Hanged doth scrape up the Crumbs with the Dirt when it happens to fall into 't and lays it up Of this Wafer-God may well be said what Elijah in a mocking way said of Baal He is a God who is either talking or pursuing or he is in a journey or he sleepeth and must be awaked For let the Popish Priests as well as Baal's cry from Morning till Evening as loud as they can there shall be no Voice nor any to Answer because the Wafer-God is as much a Dumb Idol as Baal's Image was 1 King 18.26 27. Upon this matter of the Wafer-God I must not omit taking notice of a thing which gives their Transubstantiation and Corporal Eating of Christ's Body a deadly blow and that with a Weapon of their own for in a French Translation of the Bible Printed in Antwerp by Martin L'Empereur in 1534 with Charles V. his License Dated Brussels the 21st of November 1533 in the 6th Chap. of John's Gospel over against these words Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you There is a Marginal Note in these words To eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood is to believe in him whereby their pretended Corporal Manducation is quite overthrown and it perfectly agrees with the Doctrine of all Reform'd Churches As to the taking away the Cup from the People in the Sacrament 't is positively contrary to what our Saviour said (k) Matt. 26.27 Drink ye all of it and one of the Evangelists observes how they all drank of it and the Canon of the Council of Constance against it doth them more harm than good for in the Preface they own thus Licet Christus instituerit c. that is (l) Mar. 14.23 Tho' Christ instituted and gave after Supper the Sacrament in both kinds to his Disciples and tho' in the Primitive Church it was Administred in the like manner yet the Council for certain reasons doth command that the Sacrament be otherwise Administred